Pipe cleaner with resilient cleaning wheel



Nov. 22, 1960 P. R. PEAKER ETA!- 2,960,709

PIPE CLEANER WITH RESILIENT CLEANING WHEEL Filed Nov. 14, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w w 3 v M M1 n 0 My m "4. w 2 PM: 0 m m w Q a [m '3 w m m n F w 8 m m M o A r N H 8B m m. M 1m ww w PL Y- 2, 1950 P. R. PEAKER ETAL 2,960,709 PIPE CLEANER WITH RESILIENT CLEANING WHEEL Filed NOV. 14, 1958 f. "Jinan-mm...) I

fi Pad! R. Pealrer Laurel W Buckner INVENTORS Y nan paw; 15M

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States a PIPE CLEANER RESILIENT CLEANING WHEEL.

Paul R. Pealrer, Rte. 6, Box 522T, Bakersfield, Calif, and Laurel W. Buckner, 1227 Wilson Ave OiIdale, Calif;

Filed Nov. 14, 1958, Ser. No. 773,892

6 Claims. (Cl. 15-104. 15)

This invention comprises .a novel and useful pipe cleaner with resilient cleaning wheel and more particularly relates to an implement specifically adapted for passage through pipes such as those of water wells for cleaning the interior of the pipes from dirt, accumulations or incrustations thereon.

The primary purpose of this invention is to provide a cleaning device adapted to be drawn through the interior of a pipe and forcleaning the same by the action of resilient cleaner elements pressing against the sides of the pipe.

A further objectof the invention is to provide a pipe cleaner in accordance with the foregoing object which shall provide a novel and improved construction of cleaning elements together with an improved means for mounting the same and urging the cleaning elements outward'ly of the tool andagainst the side of the pipe being cleaned.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a pipe cleaner in accordance with the foregoing objects which shall provide spring urged toothed members-to positively break and .sdisruptan incrustation or the like upon the interior surface of a pipe.

'Yet another object of the invention is to provide a pipe cleaning tool in accordance with the preceding obje'cts which shall combine therein rotatable elements for breaking up incrustations upon the interior of the pipe together with resilient brush elements to facilitate the removing of foreign matter from the interior of a pipe.

Still another additional object of the invention is to provide a pipe cleaning tool inaccordance with the preceding objects which may also be adapted to function as a swab to facilitate the cleaning of the interior of a pipe, where desired.

And a final important object of the invention to be specifically enumerated herein .resides in the provision of a pipe cleaning device wherein the cleaning elements are resiliently projected from the tool and against the side of a pipe and wherein these elements may be readily adjusted to adapt the tool to perform cleaning operations upon pipes of diiferent diameters.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fullyhereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer. to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure '1 is a view in vertical section through a portion of a pipe to be cleaned and showing the n' an-l ner in which an embodiment of cleaning tool in accord,.

ance with this invention is operatively applied thereto,

the tool being shown in elevation;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional detail view taken upon an enlarged scale substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2--2 of Figure 1 andshowing the internal construction of a portion of the cleaning tooli and ,the manner in -which the same-operates 2,950,709 Patented Nov. 22, 1960 showing the manner in. which the resilient brush elements are carried by and disposed in the cleaning tool;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the resiliently mounted rotatable cleaning elements of the device;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in section and showing the lower portion of the tool in slightly modified form for receiving a swabbing element thereon; and

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing a modified construction of the resilient mounting means for the rotatable cleaning elements of the device. 7

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a tool adapted .to be passed through the interior of pipes of various sizes for cleaning the internal surface of the pipes and the interior thereof from incrustations, foreign matter and the like. Although not limited thereto, this tool is particularly adapted for the cleaning of the casings .or the tubing of water wells, although obviously when constructed in an appropriate size, it may be advantageously employed to clean the interior of many differentivarietiesof Pipes. 7 7

.Shown in Figure 1 by the numeral 10 isa portion of a pipe, such as a water well casing, whose interior it is desired to cleanse of incrustations or foreign matter.

stood that any other desired means such as a tool string or the like may be employed for this purpose.

The cleaning tool 16 preferably comprises a single vertically elongated cylindrical body 18 which as shown in Figure 2 is preferably hollow. The upper end of this body receives the swivel 14 in any desired manner, while the lower end of the body may be closed by a cap memher as at 20 in Figure 1; and alternatively, as shown in Figure 6, may receive thereon a retaining ring 22 together with an annular swab or packing 24 of rubber or other suitable material, secured thereon as by a clamping nut 26. However, for normal cleansing purposes, the body 18 will usually have a closure cap 20 on the lower end thereof as shown in Figure 1.

At suitably located regions along the length of the same, as for example at the upper and lower ends of the body as shown in Figure 1, there are provideda plurality of longitudinally and circumferentially spaced diametrical bores, see Figure 4, as at 30. Received through these bores are brush or bristle members 32 which may conveniently comprise short lengths of braided cable or the like, having their ends unraveled or separated asat 34 to provide brushes. As will be noted, the opposite ends of each section of the cable 32 protrudes outwardly from the outside surface of the body 18 and into a brushing and scraping engagement with the internal surface of the pipe 10. By virtue of the circumferential spacing of these brushes as shown in Figure 4, it is evident that substantially the entire inside surface of the pipe 10 will be engaged, brushed and swept by these steel bristled brusnes thereby facilitating the removing of incrustations and foreign matter therefrom, and particularly those which have been loosened by the rotary cleaning elements of this invention to be now described.

The exterior surface of the body at suitable locations along the length of the same, as for example between the bristles 34 at the top and bottom of the body as shown in Figure 1, is provided with a plurality of recesses or slots. The recesses or slots are disposed in dlametrical opposition, there being thus a pair of openings on opposite sides of the body, and thesepairs of k openi ngs or slots 40 are disposed in both circumferential and longitudinally spaced relation on the body as will be apparent from Figures 1 and 2. A pair of housings or brackets each designated by the numeral 42 are received in these recesses in the opposite ends of the slots and open into the exterior of the slots. Any suitable means may be provided for securing these brackets or housings in the slots or recesses, as for example by welding or the like.

Referring now specifically to Figure 3 it will be seen that each of these brackets or housings has a vertical ,back wall 44, side walls 46, and top and bottom walls meral 60. As shown best in Figure 5, each of the .Wheels 60 is journaled as by an axle 62 between a pair ,of parallel support plates 64. The outer edges of these plates are of convex circular contour as at 66 and a portion of the teeth 68 of the wheels 60 project outwardly beyond these arcuate edges 66 for a purpose to be subsequently apparent.

At their inner edges, the sectorial parallel plates 64 are mounted upon a substantially rectangular fiat support plate or base plate 70, so that this base plate with the parallel plates constitutes a carriage which journals and support the cleaning wheels 60.

By means of suitable fasteners such as rivets or the like as at 72, the base or support plate 70 is secured to .a leaf spring designated generally by the numeral 74. This leaf spring has a mid-portion 76 to which the carriag'e is secured by the above mentioned fasteners 72, and is bowed to terminate in end portions or extremities -as at 78 and 80.

Abrad 'or screw threaded rod 82 is secured to the upper portion of the back wall 44 of the brackets 42 as by means of a screw threaded engagement therewith as shown in Figure 3 and extends parallel to the top walls 48. A block 84 may be integrally secured to the back wall 44 for stiffening the latter to receive the connectron of the fastening bolt 82 therewith, while a pair of interchangeable spacer blocks, or collars 86 are slidably :received upon the fastener 82. The upper extremity 78 of the bowed leaf spring is apertured as at 88 for slidable engagement upon the fastener 82 so that the terminal portion 78 may be positioned onthe fastener 82 in adustably spaced relation to the back wall 44. Obviously,

the positioning of the extremity 78 between the mernbers 84, and the members 86 may thus be varied in order to move the spring 74 either inwardly or outwardly with respect to the exterior surface of the body 18, thereby adjustably positioning the cutting and cleaning wheels outwardly from the body in order to adapt the tool to clean pipes of various diameters.

The lower extremity 80 is turned over upon itself to bracket and extending between the pair of side Walls 46 thereof.

provide a hook 90 and the latter may be selectively ena By this means it is obvious that the position of the cleaning wheels may readily be varied as well as the spring tension which is applied thereto by the spring 74.

A somewhat modified construction of such spring means is shown in Figure 7. In this form the same construction of the housing, bracket or box 42 is employed with the same mounting in the recesses or slots 40 being provided. However, in this form, the carriage of the construction previously described is supported and mounted by a different type of spring means to the bracket. Thus, the base or anchor plates 70 of the carriages are apertured adjacent their ends and are slidably received upon upper and lower bolts 94 extending transversely through the back walls 44. Compression springs as at 96 surround these bolts and abut against the back walls 44 and the base plates 70 to thereby yieldingly urge the carriages and their cleaning wheels outwardly from the recesses or slots. Nuts 98 upon the extremities of these bolts serve to adjustably limit the radially outward projection of the carriages and their cleaning wheels.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A pipe cleaning tool comprising an elongated cylindrical body of less diameter than that of a pipe through which it is to be passed, said body having a recess in a side thereof, means in said recess supporting for rotation a toothed cleaning wheel with its teeth extending outwardly beyond the surface of said body, spring means in said recess yieldingly urging said wheel outwardly of said recess and into engagement with the wall of a pipe in which said body is received whereby upon an axial movement of said body said wheel will rotate and clean the surface of said pipe, said support means comprising a support bracket, a carriage having said wheel journaled thereon, said spring means being mounted upon said bracket and carrying said carriage and wheel, said carriage including a pair of interconnected, parallel, spaced, longitudinally extending and outwardly projecting plates, means journaling said wheel between said plates adjacent their outer edges, said outer edges being convexly arcuate in contour providing guiding surfaces for said carriage.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the inner edges of said plat-2s are normally positioned within the outer surface of said body.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said wheel has fiat parallel sides, said plates being spaced so as to snugly receive said wheel therebetween.

4. A pipe cleaning tool comprising an elongated cylindrical body of less diamet r than that of a pipe through which it is to be passed, said body having a recess in a side thereof. means in said recess supporting for rotation .a toothed cleaning wheel with its teeth extending outwardly beyond the surface of said body, spring means in said recess yieldingly urging said wheel outwardly of said recess and into engagement with the wall of a pipe in which said bodv is received whereby upon an axial movement of said body said wheel will rotate and clean the surface of said pipe, said support means comprising a "support bracket, said carriage including a pair of interconnected, parallel, spaced, longitudinally extending and outwardly projecting plates, means journaling said wheel between said plates adjacent their outer edges, said outer edges being convexly arcuate in contour providing guiding surfaces for said carriage, said support means comprising' a bracket secured in said recess, a carriage having said wheel journaled thereon, said spring means being .inountedupon said bracket and carrying said carriage and wheel, said spring means comprising a bowed leaf spring, said carriage being mounted upon an intermediate portion of said leaf spring, anchor means securing the opposite ends of said leaf spring to said bracket, said anchor means including a rod secured to said bracket and having one end of said leaf spring mounted on said rod and a plurality of interchangeable spacers on said rods for varying the distance of said one end of said leaf spring from said bracket, means fastening the other end of said leaf spring to said bracket.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said fastening means comprises a plurality of members fixedly mounted upon said bracket at different distances from said surface and selectively engaged by the other end of said leaf spring.

6. The combination of claim 5 including a swab removably secured upon the lower end of said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 949,495 Poole Feb. 15, 1910 1,531,439 Haydock et a1. Mar. 31, 1925 1,846,371 Sunnen Feb. 23, 1932 1,920,283 Vroom Aug. 1, 1933 2,212,784 McCune Aug. 27, 1940 2,670,046 Kinzbach Feb. 23, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 703,381 Great Britain Feb. 3, 1954 

